


Faded Fabric

by jay_me_says



Series: Different Times [3]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Gen, PLATONIC TOMMY AND TUBBO - Freeform, Platonic Relationships, Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, there is a teensy but of angst but it's mostly just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:35:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29251581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jay_me_says/pseuds/jay_me_says
Summary: Four stories about the bandanas that Tommy and Tubbo hold so dear
Relationships: Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Series: Different Times [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2071380
Kudos: 16





	Faded Fabric

**Author's Note:**

> Anniversary and Valentine's Day gift for my QPP, Ace! <3

**Story One: The Start of Something**

Soon, it’ll be Tubbo’s first time celebrating Tommy’s birthday with him. Phil adopted the brunet nearly a year ago now and in that time, Tubbo has become the happiest he ever remembers being. It feels like he’s been with the Soots for more than a year; it feels like it’s been a lifetime. In a good way. He couldn’t ask for a better guardian, and Philza’s sons have been warm and kind to him. They’ve really come to accept him as one of their own over the months. Tubbo has become especially close with Tommy. It was sort of inevitable, if you think about it. They’re mere months apart in age and they share a room. Out of everyone, Tubbo feels closest to Tommy. So, he wants to do something special for his friend’s birthday. 

The only issue is, he doesn’t know what. 

He’s been trying to come up with something for the past month, and there are only three days left until the boy’s birthday now. Nothing Tubbo comes up with seems right, or even manageable. Most of his days recently have been spent zoned out, head swarming with bad ideas and worry. One night at dinner, Philza asks Tubbo what’s wrong and sends the boy to bed early when he gives an “I’m just tired” excuse. 

Tubbo crawls into the top bunk in his and Tommy’s dark room, the taste of toothpaste on his tongue. He stares vacantly at the wall, wondering what on Earth he’s going to do. 

Suddenly, his eyes catch on something on the dresser, and it hits him. 

~

Tubbo took ages to fall asleep last night. When Tommy came in at bedtime, he pretended to be dozing already to avoid their usual late-night conversations- he hadn’t wanted to chance spoiling the surprise in his excitement. 

Now, the morning after, with Wilbur and Tommy helping Philza make breakfast in the kitchen, Tubbo slinks away to Techno and Wilbur’s room with his gift tucked in his pocket. 

Techno can come off intimidating sometimes (especially when Tubbo first arrived), but the boy has grown to learn that the warrior is soft for his family. Even if it comes with an aggravated sigh, help will always be dispensed when requested. 

Tubbo raps a small fist against Technoblade’s door. 

“Come in,” comes the monotone call. 

Tubbo pushes open the door and clicks it shut carefully behind him after he enters. 

The room is somewhat cramped. It’s not small, but it’s not exactly big either, and it’s home to the household’s two eldest. A twin bed is pushed against either side of the room. There’s a shared desk with a wooden chair between the beds up by the headboards and drawers under the bed to save space. Directly across from the desk is a closet. A few shelves line the walls above the beds, packed with books and trinkets. An old wardrobe stands regally in the corner opposite the door. 

Tubbo had always felt a little bad about making Techno and Wilbur share a room. When he said as much, they both assured him it was fine. Wilbur joked one time that it was Phil’s fault. 

Techno is sitting at the desk, poring over a book. At least a dozen slips of paper stick out of the green volume, marking pages. 

The boy finishes scribbling a note on one of the paper strips, then closes the book and turns in his chair to face Tubbo. “Do you need something?” 

“Can you help me wrap my gift for Tommy, please?” 

Techno shifts his chair away from the desk and leans farther back against it, one arm half-thrown across the back. He adjusts his glasses. “Sure. What are you giving him?”

Tubbo feels nervous for some reason as he reaches into his pocket to pull out the green bandana. He hands it to Techno, who takes it with care. The older boy’s eyes widen a hair. 

“Wow. Are you sure, Tubbo?” 

He nods. “Yes. This is my first time being around for his birthday and I want it to be special. I’ve had the bandana for so long that it’ll be like giving him a little part of me.”

One side of Technoblade’s mouth quirks up as he smiles affectionately at the boy. “That’s sweet of you, Tubbo.” 

The boy glows at the comment. He feels more confident in his decision now. 

Techno stands, ruffling Tubbo’s hair as he crosses the room to the closet. He opens the door, reaches up for the shelf, and pulls down a giant, folded sheet of brown paper. He collects a pair of scissors and some twine from the desk before coming to sit on the bed. 

Tubbo sits down across from him. He sinks comfortably into the mattress and rubs a small, gentle hand across the soft gray blanket atop it. With the bandana and the supplies between them, the boys carefully wrap the gift up in a cocoon of crinkly brown paper together. 

Techno ties twine around the package with a bow and dramatically presents the finished product to Tubbo, which makes the young boy smile. “Done. Looks pretty nice, we did a good job. Want me to hide it in my room so Tommy doesn’t get into it?” 

Tubbo laughs at that. “Yes, please. And thank you.”

“Any time, Tubbo.” 

The tall boy stands and tucks the remaining paper and the gift into the closet with care. “We should get downstairs. They’re probably nearly done with breakfast.” 

“Okay.” Tubbo hops down from the bed and grabs Techno’s outstretched hand as they exit the room. A flurry of nerves and excitement whirls around inside of him. He’s eager for the next two days to pass.

~

Finally, the day arrives. Tubbo goes to collect his gift for Tommy from Techno in the morning. The pink-haired boy gives him a small smile and an encouraging pat on the back before they head down for breakfast together. 

When they get to the kitchen, Wilbur and Tommy are already sat at the table. The smell of strawberry cake dances in the air, along with the scents of bacon and eggs. The cake will be ready and frosted in time for dessert tonight. Tubbo’s mouth waters in anticipation. 

The brown-haired boy sits down at the table and Techno goes to help Philza with the food. Fidgeting with his package under the table, Tubbo listens to Wilbur tease Tommy while the younger boy makes guesses at what he got him.

“Is it that chestplate I’ve been wanting?”

A playful smile tugs at Wilbur’s mouth. “Mmm I dunno. I guess you’ll have to find out.” 

“Oh, it totally is!” 

Soon enough, Techno and Phil come to the table with eggs and bacon and a jug of milk. They’re all in a cheery mood today, jokes and conversation rolling easily between them. Tubbo tries to fight down the slight nervousness he feels, focusing instead on the light conversation and the pleasant crunch of the bacon.

When it comes time for Tommy to open his presents, Tubbo can’t suppress the nerves anymore. His package is still in his lap, guarded carefully from potential food drops by a napkin. He puts the napkin on top of his empty plate and wraps his arms around the parcel as Tommy starts tearing into the other gifts.

He receives a chestplate from Wilbur (“Knew it!”), a storybook from Techno, and a new disc for his collection from Phil. 

When it’s his turn, Tubbo gingerly hands over his package. As Tommy excitedly takes it from his hands, Tubbo meets eyes with Techno across the table, who gives him a minuscule smile and a nod. It eases the brown-haired boy’s nerves, just a little.

He turns his attention back to Tommy as he rips away the brown paper. When the strip of green fabric falls out, the blond boy’s face lights up in recognition. “Aw, cool!” He turns to Tubbo and thrusts the bandana in his direction. “Tie it on for me!” 

Tubbo takes an extra second to process, shocked but not displeased by Tommy’s enthusiastic reaction. The other boy’s grin catches on and Tubbo begins smiling too as he takes the green bandana and ties it on for Tommy.

The blond happily examines the bandana on his wrist. Techno catches Tubbo’s eye again and discreetly shoots him a thumbs up. Suddenly, Tubbo wonders why he was ever so nervous. 

**Story Two: Moments That Glow**

Normally, this day would come and go without so much as a hint of something special happening, but this year, Tommy has a plan. 

This day, three years ago, Philza brought home Tubbo, gathered their little family up in the front room, and presented the small boy as their new brother. Tommy’s days after that were filled with hesitant glances and gentle small talk and pats on the back when night terrors induced whimpers. Through trial and error and a whole lot of laughing to leave no space in the air for awkwardness, Tubbo and Tommy had forged a strong relationship. Tommy is closer to Tubbo than anyone- even Techno, even Wilbur, even Phil. He feels like doing something special to show that. 

For a while, Tommy had struggled with what, exactly, to do. Then, about a week ago, in passing, he’d seen the green bandana Tubbo gave him years ago sitting on his nightstand, and the plan sprung forth on its own. All it took was a few secret requests to Dad from the market and everything was set in motion. 

Tommy wakes up earlier than usual on the big day. He drags himself groggily out of bed and stands up on his toes, making him just tall enough to see over the wooden rail of the top bunk where Tubbo sleeps. When he’s sure that the other boy is still dead asleep, Tommy tiptoes into the kitchen. The windows wash the space with orange, early morning light. If he weren’t so tired still, the blond boy might take the time to appreciate how the sun burns through the windows and paints the kitchen. As he goes to the cabinet for cereal and a bowl, his mind wanders, and he wonders how Wilbur might describe the tangerine scene in a story or song. 

When Tommy’s in the middle of crunching on a bowl of his favorite cereal, he hears the door open. In an instant, he’s out of his chair and turning the corner to see Philza in the doorway. 

When the man sees his son, his blue eyes look shocked. “Whoa. Morning, Tommy. Why are you up so early?”

“Dad, hi. I just went to sleep early, I guess. Did you get the stuff I asked for?” The boy talks fast. He can feel the excitement rising up in him and tries to suppress it. Dad wouldn’t quite approve of his entire plan and he’d rather not get asked about it. No one’s secrets make it out of a proper Dad Interrogation. Wilbur always tells Tommy that his eyes almost twinkle when he gets excited about something. The blond boy privately orders his eyes to remain un-twinkly. 

Philza chuckles softly as he approaches the kitchen, arms laden with tote bags. Tommy belatedly realizes he should probably help and moves to reach for one of the bags just as Philza places them all down on the counter. “Calm down, mate. Let’s see,” his father says, digging through one of the canvas bags in front of him. He pulls out some glass bottles containing unnaturally bright liquids as well as several packets of colorful candies- a combination of Tommy and Tubbo’s favorites. 

Tommy’s eyes flit over the assortment of sugars, pleased. Then, he looks up at his father apprehensively. “Did you get the-“

He stops suddenly as Philza pulls a bright red bandana out of one of the bags. Tommy takes it gently and examines the square of fabric. It’s exactly what he was looking for. 

He looks back up to his dad, who’s wearing an expression of slight suspicion and barely veiled amusement. “Thank you. I’ll go get the money to pay you back,” says Tommy, suddenly hoping to hurry this interaction along. _Don't ask, don’t ask, don’t ask_ , he begs in his head.

Philza tries to stop him. “Tommy, I already told you I would pay for it myself. You’re fine.” 

“No, I already said. It’s for Tubbo. I don’t deserve credit if I don’t pay for it.” 

Philza stares at him for a moment, then, knowing how stubborn his son is, lets up. “Alright. That’s very responsible of you.” 

Tommy isn’t quite sure what to say to that, so he just goes to his room to grab his money. Maybe he’ll hold it over his older brothers’ heads later. Dad called him _very responsible_.

Tommy slips into his and Tubbo’s room quietly, careful not to wake the other boy. He kneels by his bed and reaches underneath, feeling around until his fingers connect with a cool surface. He pulls out the small cookie tin that he keeps his money in, grabs what seems like an appropriate amount, and plops the tin onto his mattress. 

As he stands, he hears Tubbo shift in the top bunk. Tommy looks over at him. The brown-haired boy rubs his eyes and half sits up on his elbow. His eyes are clouded with nearby dreams and slight concern. He mumbles something that might be, “Tommy?”

The blond tenses and says, “Everything’s fine. Go back to sleep, Big T.” 

The boy grunts and relaxes onto the bed. He’s out again in an instant. 

Relief at not being found out washes away the adrenaline. Tommy is extra careful when he creeps out of the room.

~

After placing the candies high up in a cabinet and the sodas far back in the fridge while helping Philza put away groceries, Tommy goes about the rest of his day normally. He strikes at midnight, a couple of hours after Philza has gone to bed. 

First, he sneaks into the kitchen with an old basket he’d dug out from the closet earlier. The bandana, wrapped up in old newspaper, is already in the bottom to try and offer some cushion for the bottles. He carefully places the bags of candies and bottles of soda into the basket, holding his breath as he tries his hardest not to make them clink or crunch. 

When everything has been settled carefully into the old basket, Tommy walks back to his room. He holds the basket to his stomach with his arms around it, trying to keep it as still as possible. 

When he gets to his room, he stands on his tiptoes by the bunk bed and shakes Tubbo’s shoulder. “Tubbo, wake up,” he whispers.

The boy’s brows pinch together, and he opens his eyes after some effort. He looks confused. “Tommy? What the hell, how late is it?”

“Just past midnight. Come on, follow me.” 

Tubbo sits up in bed. As he shifts over to the ladder, he asks, “Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong. Everyone’s fine. Grab a hoodie and your shoes.” 

“Why?” he whisper-yells.

“Just do it.” 

With a sigh, Tubbo obeys. Tommy is grateful for the dark disguising his basket. When Tubbo is ready, the blond grabs his lantern and matches as an afterthought and leads the other boy into the kitchen. At the back door by the table, he pauses for a moment to readjust his things, then carefully opens the old screen door. He turns the handle to the side, holds it there for a few moments, then opens the door while pushing up, exactly like Wilbur and Techno taught him to a few years ago. For whatever ungodly reason, the noisy door creaks and clicks less when he opens it. _Dark magic_ , he decides.

The boy steps out onto the back porch and waits for Tubbo to grab the door before he stops supporting it on his shoulder. 

It’s a clear night and Tommy says a quiet thank you to whatever deities there may be as he sets down his basket and lantern at the end of the concrete porch. Tubbo sits down and hangs his legs over the edge. His feet touch the ground when he sits on the porch like that now, Tommy realizes. When he first came here, his feet barely scraped the dirt. That feels like both so long ago and only last week. 

As Tommy is trying to light a match for the lantern, Tubbo asks, “Tommy, what are we doing?” His voice is edging on aggravated now. Tommy doesn’t blame him, what with being dragged out of bed and all. 

He doesn’t respond, just keeps swiping the match on the edge of the box. 

“Tommy.”

Silence. _Scrape_. _Fizz_.

 _Got it_ , Tommy thinks. He lifts the globe of the lantern with the thumb lever and carefully lights the wick. Gentle, warm light illuminates the boys and the basket. 

“Tommy, what’s all of this?” Tubbo asks now that he can see the basket. He has his “that’s sweet” voice on. The boys meet eyes. Neither of them directly acknowledge the day, but there’s a special energy in the air- an understanding, almost. Two lights sparkle in Tubbo’s eyes, one the flaming orange of the lantern and the other a light of recognition. The blond boy doesn’t answer his friend’s question, only smiles at him. 

Tommy scootches the basket to his left and sits next to Tubbo with the lantern between them. A nostalgic, childlike excitement bubbles up in him as he starts unloading the basket. The bright and sugary drinks, the colorful candies in all forms from soft, rounded gummies to hard and angular crystals. 

Tubbo’s face lights up as he sees all of his favorites. “When’d you get your hands on all this?”

“Had Dad get it for me when he went to the market today.” He hands Tubbo a sweating glass bottle. “Paid him back when he got home. That’s why I was sneaking around our room this morning.” 

Tubbo cocks his head for a moment, confused, then the sleepy memory comes back to him and he makes a little ‘oh’ with his mouth. The boy unscrews the cap of his blue drink and takes a sip. Little drops of condensation are already collecting in larger beads near the bottom of the bottle. The night is warm, warmer than Tommy thought it would be. Tubbo probably hadn’t needed that hoodie. 

For a while, the two boys stare at the sky, sipping their drinks and chewing on snacks. They pass comments back and forth sometimes before falling silent once more to watch the stars creep across the sky. Every now and again, Tubbo points out what constellations he remembers from his astronomy kick a few months ago. Cricket songs and leaves rustled by small creatures fill the silent gaps for them. 

When they’ve worked their way through a bag and a half of candies and most of their drinks, Tommy pulls the basket on his left closer. His hand and stomach dip in time as he reaches in and pulls out the bandana wrapped messily in newspaper. 

“Hey, Tubbo,” he says.

Tubbo looks over at him, drink halfway to his mouth, eyebrows perked up in question. 

The brown-haired boy sees the parcel being handed to him and he smiles. “Tommyyyy,” he drags out the blond’s name, the “that’s sweet” tone making a reappearance, “you didn’t have to do that.” It’s the closest they get to acknowledging the occasion. Tubbo sets down his drink on the porch next to him to take the package. In the lantern light, Tommy can just see the water from the bottom of the bottle seeping into the concrete, painting it a shade darker.

Tommy watches as Tubbo rips away the newspaper and the scarlet bandana falls into his lap. He can see the boy’s heart melt in the way his eyes soften and his shoulders drop. He picks it up and examines the black and white pattern that sprawls across the fabric. “Oh…Tommy, that is- thank you. That was so sweet of you, man, I love it.”

Then, he looks at Tommy and he has that half-smirk-half-smile on his face that lets the blond boy know he’s about to say something that he finds clever. He holds the bandana out towards him.

“Will you tie it on for me?”

Tommy masks his amusement with fake aggravation. “What, you can’t do it yourself?”

“Humor me, big man.” 

Tommy reluctantly takes the red bandana from Tubbo’s hand. He loops it around the other boy’s outstretched wrist a few times then ties it off securely. 

Tubbo smiles as he examines the bandana on his wrist, looking pleased both by the gift and the fact that he got what he wanted. 

After a few seconds of silence, Tommy says, in an exaggeratedly annoyed voice, “You’re welcome.”

Tubbo laughs. “Thank you, Tommy.” He sounds genuine. 

Tommy smiles. 

They fall back into silence, sugar on their tongues, and stars in their eyes. Tommy feels the most calm he’s ever felt. Like all of the problems in the world are nonexistent in their little bubble of warm lantern light and static spring-night air. Beneath the calm is a rolling energy brought on by contentment. It fills his limbs and heart with thunder. He feels sort of invincible right now. 

The boys spend the rest of the night on the porch, looking at the stars and drinking sugary drinks far later into the warm night than Philza would ever allow. 

**Story Three: Homesick**

Tubbo is having trouble sleeping.

It’s the fourth night or so since Tommy left L’manburg to take some time away from everything. Tubbo thinks that must be the reason for it. But why exactly? He and Tommy haven’t slept in the same room, or even the same house, for ages. It’s been so long since sleep has eluded him for the absence of familiar breaths and a friendly presence nearby. No, he can’t sleep for a different reason now.

If he’s being honest with himself, Tubbo misses his best friend. 

As great as Ranboo and Niki and Fundy and Philza and everyone else have all been, they aren’t Tommy. He supposes it must be true what some people say about home being people because, without his family all around him, he feels homesick. 

First, he’d lost Wilbur. Schlatt drove the second eldest out of Manberg and it caused something inside his brother to finally shatter, starting his freefall into paranoia at Pogtopia. It felt like Tubbo had him back for half a second before the coup and then he was gone again, drawing inside of himself with the push of a button. He never sees Wilbur anymore. The man has taken to staying inside his house. He misses the nights when he would let Tubbo into his room and tell him stories in the dark, spinning gorgeous words out of the nothingness until the younger boy fell asleep. 

Quickly after Wilbur, he lost Techno. If the whole world were to pick a fight with Tubbo, Techno would still be by his side with an axe and an inventory of potions. Never did he back down from a fight for the ones he loved. And now, he was long gone. Tubbo can still picture him disappearing into a cloud of wither particles and smoke. He wonders if his brother’s hair has grown longer than it already was. 

And now, he’d lost Tommy. It was only temporary, Tubbo knew, but he didn’t like the feeling of not having him around. Especially after everything they’d been through recently. The gap that the blond had left in his day-to-day life eats at him. Sometimes, he thinks of something he wants to tell Tommy when he sees him later, then remembers he won’t be seeing the boy for who-knows-how-long. He thinks the worst part is how in the dark he is. It’s killing him not knowing if his friend is safe or not. And besides all that, Tubbo misses having him around for the sake of having a brother within his reach.

So, Tubbo lies in bed, awake again for the fifth time that night feeling hopelessly homesick. He stares into the void of his lightless room, letting his mind wander as his eyes adjust to the dark. He perks up when his groggy gaze catches on something on his dresser. Slowly, he sits up and slides out of bed, walking over to the dresser.

He picks up a red bandana- the red bandana. It’s a few years old now, and less vibrant than it once was from wear and washing. He hadn’t really thought about the bandana in a while. He always kept it somewhere close because of course he was going to, but it had been sitting on his dresser for long enough now that it had sort of blended into the background, half-forgotten.

He brushes a thumb over the soft, worn fabric. The bandanas have always been something special. Wearing them is almost like a sign of support, or a show of affection, or a personal comfort. After all these years, a gift given last-minute still holds value for them. 

Tubbo brings the bandana up to his nose, now. More for the comfort of it being close than anything else. He knows it won’t smell like anything; it’s been with him for too long. A stray thread tickles his nose, and he pulls the strip of fabric away as he sneezes. He almost laughs. He must be awfully tired.

Tubbo holds the piece of fabric close to his chest for a few seconds and can almost imagine Tommy in the room next to him, arm slung across his shoulder as he lays out a plan for a prank. 

Tubbo wanders back over to his bed, bandana in hand. As he curls up under the covers, he brings it close to his chest again. He battles against the homesickness with a whip of fiery, resistant red. While he falls back asleep, he makes a list of all the things he’ll talk to Tommy about when he returns. 

The next few times Tubbo wakes up in the night, he barely comes to before succumbing to heavy sleep again. When the morning comes, he lays the red bandana on the headboard to keep it close.

**Story Four: Together**

Nerves flit through Tommy’s stomach as he stands in front of the mirror in Tubbo’s living room, adjusting his tie.

Yesterday, he’d gone back to his own house for a short visit. He wouldn’t be moving out of Tubbo’s for a little longer yet, but it was time to start making preparations, and he’d needed a few things. He’d done some cleaning, let Walter and Henry II get used to the space, and nicked some of his formal clothing.

So now here he stands before the mirror, fidgeting with his tie on his first day back as a council member. 

Tommy thinks about the conversation he’d had with Tubbo the other day. He’d meant what he said- he’s ready to work. He’s just nervous, something he hadn’t anticipated. In the past week, he’d hardly been nervous besides an occasional butterfly. (He supposes he hadn’t had the time to be nervous about it.) Then, last night as he was laying out his suit for today, the nerves started creeping in on him, carving a space out in his stomach and making him feel vaguely ill. 

Maybe he would be less nervous if he didn’t have to speak publicly his first day back. The council was going to the podium today to make some announcements to keep everyone updated, and Tommy was of course going to pitch in and make some statements. Tubbo had copied everyone’s speeches into a book that he would leave on the podium, so Tommy wouldn’t need to worry about forgetting what to say. He’s more nervous about the crowd. It’s been a while since he spoke publicly. The thought of all those sets of eyes on him, looking at him as a leader again, makes him a sort of nervous. 

Tommy jerks his head to the side and gently shakes it as though to dislodge the thoughts. He’ll be fine, he’ll be _fine_. He’s Tommy freaking Innit. He’ll be more than fine. 

He steps away from the mirror and slips his fingers under the sleeve of his jacket. His fingers connect with a bandana. If he closes his eyes and thinks for a moment, he can see its color clearly in his mind. He’d nicked it back from Walter yesterday and washed it, replacing it with a new red collar. Tommy used to wear the green bandana all the time before he gave it to Walter. He thinks he’d like to start again. It’s familiar, and a reminder of all the good that can hold out through the bad. 

Just then, Tubbo comes out of the hallway and enters the living room. Tommy lets his hands drop and looks up at the other boy, who offers him a small smile.

“Hey, big man. You look great.”

“Thanks. Not so bad yourself,” Tommy says. 

“Thank you. You about ready to go?”

The blond takes a steadying breath. “Yeah.” 

“Nervous, Tommy?” The president’s eyes sparkle playfully. 

The boy grins. “Never in a thousand years. I am too big and cool to be nervous.” 

A knock at the door draws both of the boys’ attention.

Tommy knows who it is before Tubbo even opens the door. 

“Hi, Niki! Hey, memory boy,” the brunet greets cheerfully.

“Hi, Tubbo. Tommy.” Ranboo inclines his head at each of the boys in turn. He’s always wearing a suit, so he can’t really dress up any more than he normally does on an important day like this. It seems he still made an effort, though. His tie is a darker red than normal and has subtle patterns sewn into it. There isn’t a single wrinkle on his shirt nor his jacket, and he’s wearing a black vest under the jacket today. As usual, he has a book in one hand, this one for taking the minutes. The boy’s memory book is probably tucked securely into his inventory. In his other hand, Ranboo holds a simple metal fountain pen, which he twirls around his fingers and taps against his leg, casting reflections of the cool morning’s sun around the doorway. 

“You boys ready to go?” Niki asks. Her hair is pulled up in a bun with a strand on either side loose to frame her face. She’s wearing a red dress with long sleeves that flare out a little at the ends. It reminds Tommy vaguely of flower petals. The hem of the skirt, decorated with embroidery in a deep maroon, hovers a few inches above the ground. Just enough to show off Niki’s black boots. Tommy wonders how long she’s had those boots for now. Certainly for as long as he’s known her. 

“Yeah, we’re ready. Lead the way,” Tubbo says brightly. 

Niki’s promise ring flashes brilliantly in the sun and her skirt flares out in a small arc as she turns. Ranboo follows behind her as she walks down the steps of the porch. 

When Tommy goes to follow, a tug on the back of his jacket stops him. 

He turns to look at Tubbo. “What?”

The boy is holding his arm vertically in the air. Tommy is confused until he pulls down the sleeve of his suit jacket, revealing a red bandana. 

The brown-haired boy smiles up at his friend. “Matching.”

Tommy lets out an amused breath of air that isn’t quite a laugh. He pulls his own sleeve back and holds his wrist up next to Tubbo’s. 

The president bumps the cloth-clad section of his wrist against Tommy’s and they both break out into grins. Without another word, they head out the door together.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! <3


End file.
